


The Wraith Way Of Courting

by Blue_Night



Category: Stargate - All Media Types, Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Anal Sex, Awkwardness, Cluelessness, Confessions, Courting Rituals, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Humor, M/M, after season 5, awkward talks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 18:32:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15735054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/pseuds/Blue_Night
Summary: Todd has been acting weird lately, and John comes on board his Hive to confront him with his behavior.





	The Wraith Way Of Courting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bagheerita](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bagheerita/gifts).



> Dear bagheerita,
> 
> this idea popped up in my mind yesterday, and I thought that it would be fun to write it. I hope that you'll like it. :-)

“Your Commander is acting pretty weird lately!” Colonel John Sheppard said to Todd's second-in-command the minute he entered the bridge of Todd's Hive, striding forward to the console where Todd's sub commander was standing.

“Is he?” The tall Wraith with the long sleek ponytail gazed at him with a puzzled expression, his hairless eye-ridges moving closer together and a small crease appearing over his nose. At the beginning, right when he'd encountered this amazing race for the first time, all Wraith had looked the same to the hazel-eyed colonel, ugly, evil and threatening, the hated enemy John wanted to defeat at all costs. But his feelings towards them had changed eventually, and he'd become pretty good at reading Wraith over the course of the past six years, especially one Wraith he had to deal with on a regular basis ever since they'd met in Kolya's prison more than three years ago.

He and Todd had formed a real alliance since Atlantis' return to the Pegasus Galaxy, and John even felt rather comfortable on board their allied Hives now, and he'd really thought that he knew Todd, but Todd's behavior over the past couple of weeks had been strange to put it nicely.

“Yes, he is! Don't tell me that you haven't noticed the change!” John accused Todd's second, a Wraith three thousand years younger than Todd, but not less intimidating, probably even more because of his reserved and strict nature. His second Major Lorne was normally the one dealing with the commander of Todd's flagship, and he'd insisted on choosing his name when John had decided that Todd's second needed one.

_“With all due respect, Colonel Sheppard, but you're always choosing the first name coming into your mind when you encounter a new Wraith. Wraith don't appreciate being called by human names in the first place anyway, and they're only accepting them because we humans are not a telepathic species and need to differentiate them this way. The names we choose for them should at least be decent and honorable. Not every Wraith is as patient with us as the High Commander is.”_

_“He never complained about his name. And why Ginnar of all names? That sounds pretty odd, doesn't it?” John had defended himself, earning a raised eyebrow from the blue-eyed major._

_“Because Todd is actually a very old Celtic name, it's meaning 'fox' rather fitting for the High Commander, as cunning and clever as he actually is. You didn't think of that back then, but he told me that he checked the name you'd chosen for him when he worked together with Dr. McKay for the first time. He was content with it when he learned what it means and that the Celts were brave warriors with an amazing culture. And Ginnar is an old Nordic name and means 'hawk', very appropriate and honorable for someone actually looking like one of those Nordic warriors. The fox and his hawk, what could be better for the High Commander and his second? Todd's sub commander was actually pleased that I'd chosen his name with care and consideration, and he agreed to it without any reservations.”_

John remembered that talk with Lorne now as he looked at Ginnar, and he had to admit that the name Major Lorne had found was actually more than fitting for the tall and slim Wraith with the ageless features, the long silver-white hair and the lithe frame. Ginnar was of a striking alien male beauty that drew the attention of every New Lantean at him when he walked through Atlantis' corridors, and John would probably have been one of Ginnar's secret admirers if his mind and his heart hadn't already been occupied with another infuriating and infatuating Wraith.

“I'm not sure what you mean, Colonel Sheppard. The High Commander has been his usual self when I talked to him after his return from Atlantis the previous day, and I cannot say that he's shown any strange behavior over the past weeks, quite the opposite. He was rather busy and prepared everything for your trip to Earth next month,” Ginnar informed him, his expression calm and unreadable again after his first moment of surprise. “What makes you think that he's 'acting weird' how you put it?”

“A lot of things, actually,” John growled helplessly, drawing in a shaky breath to calm himself down when Ginnar frowned at him again, this time with a look of annoyance in his yellow-green eyes because of John's impolite demeanor. The Wraith sense of hearing was much more sensitive to loud noise than human hearing, and Todd's second didn't appreciate being yelled at like that.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you,” John apologized, inhaling and exhaling a few times before he trusted his voice again. “Everything started with him coming to my quarters to take a walk on the piers with me – at night as I want to point out! I know that Wraith don't need much sleep, but we poor humans do, and I really don't know why Todd would choose such a late hour for wanting to take a walk and have 'small talk' with me! If he had talked about the negotiations with General O'Neill at least, but no, he was talking about the weather and the beauty of Atlantis by night! Can you imagine that? We could easily have done that hours earlier while he was working in the labs with McKay!”

Ginnar gazed at him bemusedly. “I see. I have seen other people taking a walk on the piers at night, talking about the moon and the beauty of the City of the Ancients when I visited Atlantis. The sky at night over Atlantis is indeed a beautiful sight,” he offered, and John sighed. “Yes, couples tend to take a nighttime walk under the starry sky, that's right, but not even McKay would behave that strangely.”

“Maybe the High Commander just wanted to be polite and not make you think that he's only interested in forming an alliance with Earth?” Ginnar busied himself with his console again, apparently not bothered by Todd's behavior.

“You really think so? Hmm. A couple of days after that moonshine walk, Todd asked me to watch a movie with him. It's not that we haven't done that before – together with my team or Major Lorne and the other guys - but he wanted to watch it with me alone, and his choice was not what I would have expected. Not to mention that his comments during the movie weren't really making sense to me either, because he obviously didn't really enjoy the movie.”

“Hmm.” Ginnar gifted him with a brief irritated glance before looking back at the data on his screen. “What kind of movie did the High Commander choose then to confuse you that much, Colonel Sheppard?”

“ _Pretty Woman_.”

“Pardon me?” Ginnar had the amazing patience all Wraith possessed as they were immortal beings, but his irritation was clearly audible in his multi-toned voice now.

John was grateful for the gloomy light on board every Hive, because it hid his deep blushing as he tried to explain to the alien space vampire what this special movie was about. “ _'Pretty Woman'_. It's a modern version of Cinderella, I think...”

“Cinderella?” Ginnar's rather exasperated counter-question didn't really serve to ease John's mind.

“Cinderella is a poor but beautiful girl who is treated badly by her step-mother and her step-sisters. She visits the ball in the palace where a young prince lives, and in the end, the prince marries her and not one of her sisters, and they live happily ever after. _'Pretty Woman'_ is a – uhm – modern version of that tale, only that this special _'Cinderella'_ is a... prostitute falling in love with one of her rich clients...” John was pretty sure that his face was burning now.

“What is a prostitute, Colonel Sheppard?”

“A woman or a man offering special – uhm... intimate - 'services' for money...” John would rather fight against fifty hungry Wraith trying to eat him now than have this talk with Todd's second.

His stammered explanation made the tall Wraith focus his attention back on him. “I see,” he stated, even though John was pretty sure that Ginnar didn't understand anything. Hell, he didn't understand himself what was going on!

“Have you perhaps mentioned to the High Commander that you wanted to watch this movie with him?” Ginnar asked after a moment of awkward silence between them, and John wished for a hole in the ground to open under his feet and swallow him.

“No, I certainly did no such thing!” he almost shouted, making Ginnar flinch away from him. John resisted the urge to roll his eyes and stomp his foot, forcing his voice back into a quieter tone again when he continued to speak.

“I have no bloody clue why Todd chose this movie of all movies, and he didn't seem to enjoy it either, because he was irritated and even furious about how females are treated on Earth. He got a totally wrong impression, but the movie is actually rather romantic and has a happy ending...” John knew that he was babbling, but he simply couldn't help himself when he saw the expression on Ginnar's face.

“Maybe he wanted to learn more about Earth's culture,” Ginnar said in the failed attempt to explain Todd's demeanor, going back to typing on his console with a small shake of his head and a sigh.

John sighed as well, continuing with his narration of the last events. “After that evening, he started to send me short messages before I would go to bed, asking me how I'm feeling and wishing me pleasant dreams and such things. But the cherry on top was when he asked me to accompany me to one his worshiper colonies the other day. The 'emergency' he had talked about and which had caused me to leave Atlantis head over heels turned out to be a table set up for two under a large tree. Todd wouldn't let me leave the colony again until I had tasted everything his worshipers were serving, and he even went so far to nibble at the food himself – although I could see that he didn't really want to! Now tell me again that your Commander is not acting weird!”

“That sounds indeed not like his usual behavior, Colonel Sheppard,” Ginnar admited, gazing at John from the side. “But why don't you ask him what this is all about? He's in his quarters, I'm sure that he'll be pleased to see you. He was quiet when he returned from your... hmm... mission to our worshiper colony.”

“I will do that. And don't bother to call for the drones, I already know the way to his quarters. Your drones are unnerving.”

“As you wish, Colonel Sheppard,” Ginnar agreed unfazed, and John got the feeling that the tall Wraith was mocking him and knowing much more about what was going on than he let it show. But Todd's second would have been the perfect poker player, being able to control his face even better than Todd normally did, and John didn't want to waste any more time with talking to him because Ginnar wouldn't tell him his real thoughts anyway.

He was about to leave the bridge to go to Todd's quarters when Ginnar's voice made him stop again as if he'd run against an invisible wall, and he turned around to stare at Todd's second-in-command dumbfounded and speechless when Ginnar looked at him from over his console and said:

“A couple of weeks ago, when Major Lorne visited us, I heard the High Commander ask him about Earth's common courting behavior. You don't happen to know why he could be interested in human mating rituals, Colonel Sheppard?”

 

***

 

“You wanted to court me?!”

John stormed into Todd's quarters with a furious look on his face, coming to an abrupt halt before the table where Todd was sitting with a small computer tablet.

The Wraith looked up from his task to return John's heated glare impassively. “Indeed, Sheppard, that was my intention. But I apparently failed, because you didn't seem to be pleased at my efforts to woo you.”

John opened and closed his mouth several times, dropping down on the second chair next to Todd's seat. “But how...why... what the bloody hell...”

“I would be grateful if you didn't curse, Sheppard. I'm aware that my attempts to show you my affection were in vain, and that you don't return my feelings, but I really did my best, and I don't deserve such a reaction. I had actually come to think that you weren't too opposed to the thought of taking our relationship to a more intimate level, I can see now that I have been wrong with that. I apologize for having overstepped the line, but could we perhaps talk about all of that in a more civilized way?”

John blinked, staring at the Wraith as if he'd grown a second head. “I... I'm not opposed to coming closer to you, Todd, but seriously... _'Pretty Woman'_? Candlelight dinners? Moonshine walks? What has gotten into you, Todd? You're Wraith, damn it, and I'm not a shrinking violet that needs to be courted with flowers and chocolate!” he finally stammered when he had found his tongue again, making Todd cock his head to the side to regard him thoughtfully.

“I'm aware that I am Wraith, Sheppard, believe me. And please stop cursing.”

“John. If you really wanted to court me, then start using my first name finally, will you?” John worried his bottom lip as he returned Todd's gaze.

“John.” Todd said in a low voice, and John felt a tingling in his stomach at the purring sound. “I can't believe that I was so blind not to see the obvious. But I didn't expect you to court me the human way, I guess,” he mused, finally calming down as he started to see the funny side of all of this. Todd put the tablet back onto the table and leaned back in his chair.

“I found it better to try it your human way at first, John.”

“Hmm. Is the Wraith way of courting that different from the human way? How do Queens court their chosen mates?” John asked curiously, and Todd's pale lips curled into a smile. “You do not wish to know how Queens choose their mates, believe me, John Sheppard.”

“Hmm, you're probably right with that,” John nodded. “But what about the male Wraith? There are only few Queens, and I don't think that they can gift an entire Hive with their affection? What about the many Wraith who are left out in the cold?”

Todd's smile deepened to a predatory baring of his teeth. “The way male Wraith court other male Wraith is rather simple, John. The one courting another male will just offer...hmm – food - to the subject of his desires, and if the other one accepts the gift, the Wraith doing the courting will drag the courted male to a set of available quarters and mount him there.”

John's mouth dropped open, and he swallowed audibly. “Urgh, oh, I see. Okay, we're already way past the 'food-thing', I guess, and we're also in a set of available quarters – so now would come the mounting-thing, wouldn't it?”

“That would indeed be the case, Sheppard.” Todd was up on his feet before John could even blink, pulling John from his seat to throw him over his shoulders and carry him to a door John had noticed during his former visits, but never dared to ask what was behind it. Todd ignored his indignant noise at being carried like a wet sack, and John went silent when his gaze fell upon the large bed that came into sight when Todd entered the room behind the mysterious door.

The Wraith way of courting had its own appeal as John had to admit, and he stopped thinking when Todd let him drop down onto the bed with surprising gentleness and climbed on top of him with a passionate snarl. This was what he'd secretly longed for ever since he and Todd had fled from Kolya's prison together, and he pulled Todd's head down for a first kiss with a small contented sigh, losing himself in embrace of his infatuating Wraith happily.

 

***

 

“I like the Wraith way of courting much better than the human way of courting – except for the food-thing, I mean. It is much less complicated and confusing. I've always liked straight forward much better than detours,” John said hours later when he snuggled close to Todd under the covers.

“You do?” Todd pulled him against his broad frame, and John pressed a kiss onto his hairless greenish skin, busying himself with tracing along the black lines of his tattoos. “Yes,” he confirmed, lifting his head from where it had been pillowed on Todd's chest to peer down at him. “If I had only known what your sudden strange and mysterious behavior was all about. But how could I have known that you were trying to court me? I probably should have, and it was kinda sweet, but I really don't need movie nights, moonshine walks and romantic dinners, Todd. All I need is you, and maybe enjoying a cold beer or two on one of the piers together with you now and then. That's more my style. By the way – can Wraith get drunk?”

Todd gazed up at him. “Only when we need to feed, John. A beer or two won't get me drunk. And I'm glad to hear that you don't expect me to watch another movie like _'Pretty Woman'_ with you. It was rather disturbing. But I would really like to take a moonshine walk with you now and then, it reminds me of our first night spent under the starry sky after our flight. I hadn't seen the moon and the stars for more than ten years, and being able to do that is still special to me.”

John bent down to kiss him. “That can surely be arranged, my Wraith. I think that I actually like your romantic side, and now that I know what you were trying to do when you asked me to take a walk with you...” he whispered against his lips, chuckling when Todd growled ardently and turned them around to trap him under his heavy body, pushing into him again smoothly and easily after their first passionate coupling.

The Wraith found his most sensitive spot without any problems when he possessed him again with deep and powerful thrusts, and John hadn't any breath left for coherent words, his loud moans and gasps only spurring Todd on to go faster and turn him into a quivering mess with his Wraith way of courting. John loved the feeling of being at Todd's complete mercy, the way he was shoved back and forth on the bed with every move Todd made.

It didn't take long until he could feel the heat of another climax lick at the end of his spine, the ridges on Todd's large Wraith cock and the friction he got on his own dick where it rubbed against Todd's hard abs enough to stimulate him and make him come untouched. He cut his tongue at Todd's sharp teeth when he pushed his tongue into his mouth again, but John didn't care, clinging to Todd's broad shoulders when the first wave of ecstasy surged through him and he coated himself with his hot release.

Todd roared triumphantly and followed him over the edge with the next hard thrust against John's prostate, making him cry out in their deep and passionate kiss. They lay like this for a rather long time before Todd rolled them around and John curled himself up in his arms.

“Your second knows,” he murmured sleepily, and Todd chuckled and pressed a kiss onto his temples.

“Yes, he does. He's already asked me what kind of movies Major Lorne would like to watch.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't be silent readers but leave comments and kudos, they are feeding my muse better than anything else could ever do. <33


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